Contractor says homeowner scammed him

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EDMOND, Okla. -- Contractor Kyle Bebber says after hard work in the hot sun a homeowner skips out on the check.

"I come out here to do a hard days worth of work to bring home money to my family to support them and I can't even do that now."

Bebber says the owner of a home on Hickory Ridge in Edmond agreed to pay him for various work including removing trees and debris.

He showed us the completed work and the trees he says he chopped down.

He showed us two agreements on paper.

He says he was paid for the first invoice but the second -- is where the controversy starts.

He says the homeowner gave a check to another contractor to give to him.

But is was half of the amount due.

He says "I tried to cash it and the bank wouldn't tell me why they just told me I couldn't cash it."

Bebber later found out the owner put a stop payment on the check and says she sent him a text message saying she would pay him the rest when he cut down a specific tree.

"I told her I'm pretty sure I needed a permit from the City of Edmond because if somebody was driving at the time that it fell and landed on their car, I would be liable for any damages to them or their property.

The tree is not listed on either invoice.

He called several state agencies including the police but no one could help. Attorney David Slane interprets Oklahoma Statute Title 42.

"A person could file a lien against the property so that the homeowner can't sell and they can't really do anything with it so it would protect his rights," says Slane.

The cost for the lien is $28.

Since the amount owed is less than $6,000 the other option is to file a small claims suit which costs $65.

It has to be filled within 90 days or you lose your right to file a claim

We did try to speak with the homeowner - -she told us to quote "get of my property" and we did.